Latest green news
Half of US blanketed in snow as winter makes an early show
Brian K. Sullivan 8:17am Snow cover across the contiguous 48 states reached 50.4 per cent on Monday in the US before dropping back to 50.2 on Tuesday in an early burst of winter in the US.
Climate change science provokes textbook battle in Texas
Renee Schoof 7:54am Several textbook publishers have withdrawn passages from social studies textbooks that could have led middle school students to think that climate change is not caused by human activity, an advocacy group said Monday.
China needs to cap coal use by 2020 to meet climate goals: think tank
7:46am China needs to hit its "peak coal" use by 2020 if it is to fulfil its commitment to end growth in climate-warming carbon emissions by the end of the next decade, an influential government think tank said on Tuesday.
Polar bear numbers down 40 per cent in Alaska, western Canada
Michael Muskal 7:20am Polar bear numbers are shrinking as Arctic ice melts, according to a new study.
Bilateral trade deal boosts negligible G20 legacy
ROSS GITTINS 8:24am Treasurer Joe Hockey's shock jock tactics add little to the debate about carbon emission strategies.
Why some mammals kill off infants
Carl Zimmer 12:00am A new study suggests that the behaviour of male animals killing unrelated infants evolved independently in a number of separate animal lineages.
Government confirms Green Climate Fund no-show
PETER HANNAM 5:58am Australia is playing its part in an effective response to climate change through direct action, international engagement and aid program, according to a spokesman for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.
Japan to expand its Antarctic whaling area
ANDREW DARBY 6:56pm Japan is to vastly expand its Antarctic whaling area, and take 333 minke whales, under a scientific research plan to replace the program ruled illegal at Australia's request.
Businesses want higher emission cuts
PETER HANNAM 6:05pm Half the firms surveyed backed deeper cuts than 5 per cent of 2000-level emissions by the end of the decade.
El Nino to bring a hot, dry summer
PETER HANNAM 5:39pm The prospects of a hot and dry summer for much of Australia are increasing with “classic signs” of an El Nino event starting to emerge in the Pacific.
India plans to increase solar power five-fold without subsidies
Debjit Chakraborty and Ganesh Nagarajan India said its renewable-energy industry must eventually learn to live without government support and that it's seeking to generate five times more power from solar by 2022 than is currently installed.
US Republicans' task: how to fight nature while denying climate change
Toluse Olorunnipa When Florida's Governor Rick Scott won re-election November 4, he triumphed over both his Democratic challenger and California billionaire Thomas Steyer, who spent $US20 million painting him as a climate-change denier.
Victorian election 2014: State 'has worst renewable energy policy environment'
RICHARD WILLINGHAM Less than two weeks from the state election, a study has found Victoria has the worst policy environment for renewable energy in Australia, and Premier Denis Napthine says reliance on coal-fired power will continue for some time.
Gardens of Stone mine: call for government to protect unique rock formations
PETER HANNAM Green groups have called on the Baird government to expand its protection of unique pagoda rock formations in the Blue Mountains after a regional coal miner went into liquidation.
Supertrawler fishing ban comes to an end amid demands for permanent stop
ANDREW DARBY The ban on fishing supertrawlers hauling nets in Australian waters lapses on Tuesday, with conservationists and recreational fishers demanding a permanent stop.
Red faces for Tony Abbott on Green Climate Fund
PETER HANNAM The Abbott government has been left squirming on another climate front after key ally Canada said it will contribute to a United Nations climate fund to help impoverished countries cope with global warming. Tony Abbot has said that Australia will not be contributing to the fund.
The war over Dolphin Marine Magic park
PATRICK BEGLEY Bucky the bottlenose dolphin - a 45-year-old entertainer and cancer survivor - has found himself at the centre of a bitter, decade-long battle of wills.
Lucent shines light on life of pigs from conception to slaughter
Elise Burgess, Eleanor Nurse These days when it comes to how our food is produced, the question is no longer "how much do you know about where it comes from?" but, "how much do you want to know?"
Climate change 'won't stop at the Pacific Islands', Angela Merkel tells Australia
PETER HANNAM German Chancellor Angela Merkel has added to international calls on Australia to reveal its plans for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Hollande raises spectre of conflict over climate change
French President Francois Hollande said failure to address global warming could lead to war, and called on G20 countries to act ahead of a climate change conference in Paris next year.
G20 pledges lift Green Climate Fund towards $US10 billion UN goal
A promise by Japan on Sunday to give up to $US1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) to a UN fund to help poor nations cope with global warming puts the fund within sight of a $US10 billion goal and brightens prospects for a UN climate pact next year.
Strong winds fan Blue Mountains bushfire blaze
Strong winds have caused a fire in NSW's Blue Mountains to flare up but authorities say no properties are under threat.
Climate change in G20 communique after 'trench warfare'
TOM ALLARD The final G20 communique includes a significant passage on climate change after "difficult discussions" among leaders on Sunday, and despite an impassioned defence of coal and fossil fuel industry by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Australian bid to get Japanese tuna boats to curb albatross deaths fails
ANDREW DARBY An Australian attempt to make Japanese boats fishing for bluefin tuna take steps to reduce the numbers of albatrosses they kill in the process has failed.
Under the radar: Dams bone dry and crops failing in north-west Victoria
DARREN GRAY A growing number of farmers in north-west Victoria are carting water for their stock and it's not yet summer.
Beyond the US-China climate deal
ADAM MORTON Opinion Here's the first thing you need to know about the climate change agreement that the US and China sprung on the world last week: ignore the numbers.
Mallee birds extinct in 20 years: government policy to blame
JOHN ELDER The Victorian government stands accused of all but guaranteeing the extinction of threatened mallee birds as a consequence of its bushfire prevention policy.
UN chief urges Australian PM to support climate change fund
TOM ALLARD UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sees climate change as a "defining challenge of our times".
Brisbane turns on the heat for G20 summit as monthly records melt
PETER HANNAM Leaders attending the G20 summit in Brisbane may not get to talk much about climate change but it might be harder to avoid discussing the weather.
NSW national parks singled out for green gong
PETER HANNAM Two NSW conservation areas have been named on a list of world-class protected areas, the only state in Australia to earn the accolade from the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Abbott government blasted for stalling on marine parks
PETER HANNAM Environment Minister Greg Hunt has been taken to task for claiming 36 per cent of Australia's marine areas are protected by law.
State Labor dumps Great Forests park plan ahead of Victorian election
JOSH GORDON Union intervention has caused Labor to backtrack on a new national park proposal.
Ghost bat pup born into Taronga Zoo's night sky
STEVE JACOBS Taronga Zoo is celebrating its first successful birth of a ghost bat pup in 15 years.
United States pledges $2.5b to help poor nations fight climate change ahead of G20 leaders' summit: report
AMY REMEIKIS The United States has pledged $2.5 billion to help poor countries combat climate change, just days after signing a "game changing" deal with China to cut its carbon emissions by almost a third by 2030.
Cool change creeps into Sydney
PETER HANNAM Sydneysiders are getting some relief from the early-season heat as sea breezes start to cool off coastal suburbs.
How to catch a fishing boat - every time
ANDREW DARBY When the Japanese longliner Wakashio Maru No.118 went fishing in the South Pacific, little did its crew know the voyage could be part of a game change.
Man scales toilet wall to rescue child from snake
PRIMROSE RIORDAN A passerby has scaled a toilet wall at a Lake George rest stop 20 minutes outside of Canberra to rescue child from a snake.
Lightning might strike more often with global warming
Justin Gillis To the ever-growing list of projected effects from global warming, add a curious entry: a potentially huge jump in lightning strikes in the United States.
Sydney weather: Eastern regions to be spared the worst of today's heat
PETER HANNAM Sydney’s eastern suburbs are the place to be this afternoon as the second big heatwave of spring sends temperatures soaring.
Emissions deal: Abbott looks like a shag on a rock
MARK KENNY The PM stood up to Putin, but had the rug pulled from under him by Obama and Xi.
Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu among World Heritage sites of 'significant concern': IUCN
PETER HANNAM The condition of three of Australia’s 14 World Heritage sites is of “significant concern”, including the Great Barrier Reef, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature
Total fire bans enforced as temperatures set to soar across state
Expected temperatures of up to 45C coupled with strong winds are leading to a total fire ban in some areas of NSW.
Searing heat to sweep across NSW
PETER HANNAM Parts of Sydney's west will swelter in near-40 degree heat on Friday as a massive pool of hot, dry air sweeps eastwards, raising the threat of fire danger.
'No need' for free range eggs standard says ACCC, outraging consumer and industry groups
ESTHER HAN Egg producers and consumer advocates are developing free range egg standards in every state - but now the consumer watchdog says we don't need them.
Climate: US-China pact to curb emissions not enough, CSIRO scientist Pep Canadell says
PETER HANNAM The US-China pact to curb greenhouse gas emissions is "unprecedented" but won’t be enough to prevent dangerous climate change, said Pep Canadell, the head of CSIRO’s Global Carbon Project.
Canberra set for a short-lived taste of summer on Friday before a cooler weekend
EMMA KELLY Canberra will get a taste of summer tomorrow but the scorching weather will be short-lived.
Scorching heat predicted for Sydney on Friday
PETER HANNAM Western parts of the city can expect 40-degree temperatures as a massive pool of hot, dry air sweeps across eastern Australia.
Coal seam gas projects in Sydney's water catchments could get the go-ahead
NICOLE HASHAM Coal seam gas projects in Sydney’s sensitive water catchments could be allowed and existing operations will escape tough new rules under the state government’s plan for the controversial industry.
McConnell 'distressed' at US-China climate deal, signaling fight
Michael A. Memoli Incoming US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell led a Republican chorus objecting to a new US-China deal on climate change Wednesday, calling it the latest sign that President Barack Obama is unwilling to seek common ground with the party set to assume power on Capitol Hill.
Nature turns up the heat just in time for G20
PETER HANNAM At this weekend’s G20 summit, it may well be a case of “Don’t mention the warmth!”
Ross Garnaut: Climate deal marks acceleration by US
PETER HANNAM Ross Garnaut, a China expert and compiler of two emissions trading reviews for governments, said the US-China deal represents a bigger shift for the Americans.
US-China climate deal puts pressure on Tony Abbott
MICHAEL GORDON China and the US agreement highlights PM's inaction on global warming.
Victorian state election 2014: Labor won't change north-south pipeline rules
Darren Gray, Henrietta Cook Rules governing the operation of the controversial north-south pipeline would not be changed if Labor wins this month's state election, Labor leader Daniel Andrews has pledged.
Barack Obama praises 'historic' climate deal as Labor steps up attack on Coalition
Philip Wen, James Massola, Lisa Cox, Peter Hannam Barack Obama says the US and China have 'a special responsibility' to lead the global effort on climate change.
US, China reach carbon emissions deal
David Nakamura and Steven Mufson Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Barack Obama struck a deal Wednesday to limit greenhouse gases, with China committing for the first time to cap carbon emissions and Obama unveiling a plan for deeper US emissions reductions through 2025.
World to breach IPCC's carbon limit by 2040: International Energy Agency
PETER HANNAM Global energy demand growth will halve by 2025 but fossil fuels will continue to dominate, leaving the planet on a warming trajectory of 3.6 degrees, according to the International Energy Agency.
RET deal off: The only certainty is uncertainty for the clean energy industry
PETER HANNAM Labor's decision to end talks for a compromise leaves the government no options but to try to secure another Palmer United Party back-flip.
Underwater 'storms' may hold key to melting Antarctic ice
Amina Khan Scientists using robotic ocean gliders to wander frigid Antarctic waters say they may have discovered a mechanism behind the melting of polar ice shelves - miniature submarine "storms" that are lobbing packets of warmer water toward the continent
Lawsons pulls both elephant ivory and rhino horns off the auction list after public uproar
ESTHER HAN A public uproar over the sale of a pair of black rhinoceros horns and two pairs of elephant tusks has forced a Sydney auction house to withdraw the items from this Friday's auction list - a critical win for animal rights campaigners.
Everlasting Swamp to be state's newest national park
PETER HANNAM The Baird government has announced vulnerable wetlands in northern NSW will become the state’s newest national park – Everlasting Swamp.
